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Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

Families Ditch Cars for Cargo Bikes by Laura Moser
The Hoverman family lives in a ritzy neighborhood with a luxury, Audi SUV. They have it all, seemingly. But one thing that sets them apart is that they avoid driving on the weekends. Instead, they opt for “cargo bikes,” which allow for the whole family to ride in comfort and still be eco-friendly. What a great idea!

Nearly a third of savers have less than $1,000 for retirement by Vaishali Gauba
The statistic might shock you: a significant minority has little to speak of for retirement. Of the total sample population for the survey, 57 percent had less than $25,000 saved. This absence of wealth could be exceptionally difficult for future comfort, livelihood. But beyond the basic stats, I must caution readers that the solution isn’t as simple as saving more. The problem is that people are not paid enough to save enough. Then, and only then, people can be better directed to plan for retirement. Their immediate needs must be met first.

The Three Rules of Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness by The Frugal Farmer
Laurie’s a prepper. She has been storing food and goods for whatever financial straits she might find. In this enlightened article, she addresses three types of self-sufficiency: physical, financial, and spiritual.

Google launches its own mobile network by Chris Welch
This is tremendous news for all cell phone subscribers. Google has entered the cell phone network market. Now, they’re doing more than just building the operating systems and contributing to hardware development. With Google’s Project Fi, users can switch seamlessly between providers (Sprint and T-Mobile) across the world. Wherever there’s wi-fi, the phone defaults there, and then pops up to cell towers when you leave that area. Plus, the phone will work internationally, too. The best part — the frugal part — is that the monthly fee is $20 plus $10 per GB of data. If you don’t use your entire allotment, you actually get paid back as credit!

To fight income inequality, tell your friends how much you make by Meredith Bennett-Smith
It might sound counterintuitive, but income inequality calls for drastic measures! Despite this being the 21st century, there’s great income inequality between races, genders, and social classes. One author is advocating that people of all stratums rise up and say how much they earn. The hope is that people will be able to get an accurate and fair assessment of what they should be paid.

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I quite fondly remember the days when I didn’t carry anything but a house key (on occasion). As a child, I didn’t have savings, cash to carry, pens, credit cards, IDs, etc. The world was no more dangerous than today, and my pockets were empty. I remember childhood adventures in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, finding trails and paths less wandered. Friends would tag along and we’d discover and explore, all without a single thing in our pockets. As I age, I can’t help but wonder why my pockets have grown heavier with stuff.

Nowadays, I feel like I’m unfurling and unloading a mass of “necessities.” My brain tells me that all of these things I carry will come in handy throughout the day. Like a good boy scout, always “be prepared.” I regularly carry headphones, a cell phone, multiple cards and ID’s, chapstick, keys, pens, and notes. My pockets are frequently burgeoning with stuff — strange shapes created.

I know I’m not the only one. My grandmother always said, “You should carry a little cash, just in case something happens.” Even in elementary school, she imparted this standard of living. She’d suggest, “What if you need a taxi because you got lost? Or, what if you needed food and hadn’t eaten?” Cash was an out — just in case an emergency occurred.

My professors will reach into their pockets to grab larger key chains, wallets, and cash sums. The jingle is louder and they seem to have amassed more. My peers carry their clutches, purses, wallets, and bags, too. Men and women of the working world carry their packs, bags, and briefcases for a long day’s work. I’m struck by how little we had to carry as children. We could instantly step out of the house; being “prepared” was a mental state, not physical.

Frequently, I fancy the minimalist life, and try to carry less, but I can’t help but notice a discrepancy. Here I am trying to become more frugal and minimalist, but I’m carrying more than ever before. Where does need become want? What do I really need with me every day? Should I follow my grandmother’s words and carry money everywhere I go, as if I’m waiting to be attacked?! Why could I get away with nothing more than a house key as a child?

It’s easy to justify the mass grab: I have more responsibilities as an adult. The decider and chief within me argues for the stuff. It says, “You’ll need your credit card in case you get hungry, need to pay for something randomly, or anything strange happens.” Even if I take the free bus into school, I’m invariably carrying my driver’s licence, school ID, and more. Will I needto hand over my ID? Probably not. What is it about becoming an adult that becomes the justification for my outsize growth in pocket dimensions?

There’s only one conclusion in my mind: We grasp for these crutches as adults, as the fear of death seems to grow. The world is no less safe, and yet I hold onto these safety measures (especially my phone). If I leave the house without this stuff, I feel more than naked — heck, I’d rather be naked!

But every now and then, there’s an intense pleasure, joy in leaving the house with nothing but a house key (sometimes without that, even). All the “adult” responsibilities that I carry seem to be left behind — just me and the world. It’s then that I realize how splendidly simple life can be, and that those childhood adventures are always waiting. After all, feeling prepared is an internal state, not a physical one.